A/N - My hottest chapter yet... a new thing for me...
thanks so much to my Beta, Aerleigh
She sat at her desk, unable to focus on any of the paperwork spread about on the surface. Instead, she turned toward the window, watching a warm summer rain wash against the pane. Part of her wanted to run out into the weather and dance in the raindrops like she always did when she was a little girl. It was a silly thought, but her head seemed filled with many such notions over the last few days.
She felt a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth as she thought of the reasons why she seemed so distracted by such ideas. She was being rebellious, certainly, making her feel more empowered than she had since she first arrived at the manor. But it was far more than that, although she resisted putting a label on the full range of her emotions for the time being. For now, she was content, at least with the daylight hours of her life.
Their first week together had passed quickly, and the time they'd spent together to finalize details of the upcoming party could almost be described as a joy, except for the fact that Ginny hated every last one of the guests with a flaming passion. Unfortunately, Friday had arrived far too quickly and she couldn't help but wonder about how she would cope with Draco gone for the weekend, or if he would leave at all. Things were different now, and after only a few days of being with him, the thought of two days without him seemed almost unfathomable.
She was roughly pulled from her less than cheerful thoughts by the sudden feeling of gentle arms snaking around her shoulders, and warm, soft kisses tickling her neck. Apparently, judging from the affectionate greeting she was receiving, Draco had returned from his morning errands.
She immediately abandoned all other thoughts and turned her attention fully to him. "I thought you were going to be gone longer," she said, reaching back behind her to caress his soft blond hair, and allowing her heart to flutter in time with the kisses.
"I had reason to be quick," he replied lightly. She loved the tone of his voice, but he stopped speaking in favor of more kisses.
"And what reason would that be?" she asked, giggling as he hit a particularly sensitive spot.
"Oh, it was the rain," he teased, while pushing her hair aside so he could access more of her neck. His response was slightly muffled as he continued, "I didn't want to be out in the rain."
She smacked his arm at his response, still smiling as she turned to kiss him in return. The joy she felt at him simply being in the room with her warmed her, despite the cool, rainy weather.
"Do I need to teach you simple drying charms, or are you going to have to carry one of those odd Muggle umbreelies?" she teased.
He laughed at her taunt, giving her a playful smirk as he pulled a parchment from his pocket. "You'd best be nice to me, or I won't give you your present," he said pausing dramatically and waving the item in the air, just out of her reach.
She attempted to look sternly at him, but failed miserably. "Are you threatening me?"
"I wouldn't dream of it, Mistress," he said with as smile and an elegant flourish, as he handed her the latest correspondence from her family.
Normally, she would have halted their romantic play and opened the letter, always eager to read the latest news from her loved ones. But for the first time, the contents of the note were somehow less important than spending time with the handsome courier. She dropped the parchment carelessly onto the desk, turning her attention back to him, and not failing to notice that he watched her action with a small amount of surprise.
Feeling the need to have him closer, she grabbed his tie and tugged, a small feral grin coming to her lips when he willingly complied with her demand.
His lips touched hers a moment later. She loved kissing him, and one of her greatest challenges over the previous evenings had been not to focus on the enticing poutiness of his lips during dinner. Each meal had suddenly become a greater test of her practice of Occlumency, as she worked to shut her feelings aside while they were in the presence of Lucius.
There was no need for such lessons at the moment. Alone with Draco, she allowed her emotions and feelings to run free. She reached up to wrap her hand around the back of his head, running her fingers through the softness of his hair and inhaling the scent of him. He pressed his lips more firmly onto hers, claiming her mouth, making her drunk with desire to be closer.
As a soft sigh escaped from her, she could feel his lips forming into his trademark smirk. She might have chastised him for being smug but had no desire to interrupt the moment.
He began fingering the ties on the back of her dress that held together the bodice, and she squirmed slightly in his embrace. She was still seated and was forced to twist in order to touch him, making it difficult to press herself closer yet somehow she managed. She was delighted to hear him groan in response as her hand brushed eagerly against the front of his trousers. As he finally broke the kiss to latch once again onto her neck, she felt the familiar flutter of arousal in her stomach increase.
Finally releasing her from her bodice, he slid the garment from her shoulders. She still felt the slightest bit shy around him, but her desire quickly quelled the feeling as she turned to face him. She slowly freed her arms from the sleeves of the dress, allowing the top of the garment to drop, hanging limply at her waist.
Now bared before him, she found herself enjoying the almost reverent look in his eyes, dark with passion, as he stared for a long moment at her breasts. He brought his hands up, cupping each breast gently, before turning his gaze back to her face, focusing on her lips.
She took a deep breath as she took in the sight of him, staring at her as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world. He looked back down at her naked torso, slowly moving his hand from her breast to trace it lightly across her stomach, then drawing it lazily across toward the side of her waist, his gaze following the movement of his hand. She flinched slightly as he hit a ticklish spot, and he immediately stopped his action, looking at her with concern.
It took her only a moment to realize that he still worried that she might fear him, or that he might have touched a spot where she'd been abused.
"I'm a bit ticklish there," she explained, hoping that he'd need no further encouragement.
He tilted his head to the side, that sexy fringe of hair falling across his eyes as they suddenly sparkled with amusement. "Oh really?"
She suddenly realized that she'd made a serious tactical error as a smile slowly came to his lips. She tried to back away, only to realize that her desk was immediately behind her. She was trapped, as one of his hands dropped onto the desk, the chair being on the other side, effectively caging her where she was. Her only escape route seemed to be over the top of the desk, and she scooted her bum onto the item in a desperate attempt to back away, as her lover's smile widened with mischief.
"Oh no..." she stammered, putting her hands against his chest, hoping to discourage him.
His free hand immediately moved to her waist. He didn't hit the spot, but it seemed that the mere suggestion of being tickled made her all the more squeamish. She squeaked and tried to scoot further back onto the desk.
The escape attempt was tremendously unsuccessful, as he followed her journey backwards, until she was lying on top of the desk, and he was positioned directly over her, trapping her in place. He grabbed her hands, which had started making wild movements in an attempt to fend him off and soon hand them both in his left hand, pinned above her head, his right hand now hovering over her now hyper-ticklish stomach.
"You wouldn't dare!" she growled in a rather ineffective threat, fully expecting the tickling to begin at any moment.
Instead he placed his hand on her hip to hold her in place and leaned down to kiss her in the sensitive spot, his tongue soon following to lick the area. It was still massively ticklish, bordering on torture, she thought, but it was the most delightful form of torture she could have ever imagined. Her uncontrolled laughter as she begged him to stop only encouraged him to continue, soon leaving her panting and breathless.
When he finally did stop to allow her to draw breath, she closed her eyes in bliss, the smile from her recent giggles plastered firmly on her face. Thinking of how ridiculous she must look, lying topless across her own desk, caused her to break into another fit of giggles.
As she looked at Draco and saw the playful sparkle still in his eyes, she was struck with the sudden realization that, during this one week together, he'd caused her to completely change how she'd come to view sex. Even in her wildest adolescent fantasies, she'd never imagined that there could be so much joy and playfulness. Yet, there was.
As her laughter subsided, he lifted himself off her, standing at the edge of the desk. Never taking his eyes from her, he began to gently tug the dress from her hips, leaving her naked on the desk in front of him. She briefly considered moving to a less awkward location, however, she seemed to have lost all ability for coherent thought, and the idea flitted away from her mind as soon as she looked back up at him.
Lifting herself up on her elbows so she could see him better, she watched him loosen his tie, slowly, as if teasing her. She narrowed her gaze at him, willing him to move more quickly, but he only smirked as he tossed the tie aside, moving onto the buttons of his shirt with the same tauntingly slow pace. She felt her mouth watering in anticipation, like a child in front of a candy store.
He did not disappoint her, as his own anticipation caused him to speed his pace, popping open each button, compelling her to lick her lips as he revealed his chest. She found it difficult to think that she'd once considered him to be too pale, as the now found herself captivated by the light tan that graced his skin, enhancing the corded lines of muscles. His frequent riding and working with his horses had broadened his shoulders, and given him incredible muscle definition, right down to the strength in his calloused hands. She ached to have those hands touch her as she watched him continued to disrobe.
When he finally leaned down over her again, remaining standing near the edge, she sat up further to reach for him, her fingers eagerly tracing over his chest, the tactile feeling of him confirming once again that he was more than a fantasy.
He chuckled at her eagerness, grabbing her wrists, ignoring her pout of protest as he began to lay kisses on her wrists, working his mouth tantalizingly up her arm as he gently pushed her back onto the desk. Papers, once neatly stacked, were strewn carelessly about, as she squirmed under his ministrations. Finally, he latched his mouth onto one breast, forcing her to emit incoherent sounds of pleasure as his tongue lazily moved over the tip, arousing her further.
Until now, she'd been the one to take the lead in their lovemaking, as Draco had been careful to give her the opportunity to back away if she felt it necessary. She found that she was enjoying the reversal immensely, surrendering herself to him completely.
Part of her wanted to close her eyes and simply feel his touch as his mouth and hands began to move down to her hips, but a stronger part of her wanted to see him. She looked down to see him, his eyes closed in bliss as he enjoyed her body in the the most intimate of ways. She let loose a small gasp as he worked his own form of magic between her legs.
Her body soon shuddered in orgasm, causing her lover to lift his head, smiling at her in satisfaction. He pulled her forward, until her bum rested precariously on the edge of the desk. Annoyed that he was so far from her, she immediately wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer. They soon discovered that the desk was at an ideal height for her to remain seated as he immediately pushed himself into her, causing her gasp in pleasure.
As he thrust into her, his hands wrapped around her, cupping her bottom and holding her close as he groaned in satisfaction. She rocked with him, wrapping her arms around his neck and closing her eyes. She smiled, thinking that the exquisite intimacy of feeling him inside her was like an addictive potion. She could think of nothing else but the feelings he evoked from her. When he finally shuddered in release, she wrapped her arms more tightly around him, wishing to prolong the moment for as long as possible.
It was in that moment that she was left helpless by yet another epiphany: She now had no doubt that she was falling passionately in love with the younger Malfoy and she no longer had any will to fight the onslaught of feelings that she had for him.
Eventually, he did try to move away, but she refused to release him, still somewhat stunned by her own revelation. He looked down at her in amusement.
"A bit possessive, are we, Weasley?"
He only called her "Weasley" when he was taunting her, and she loved the endearment.
"Can't we move someplace more comfortable?" she asked.
"As you wish, My Lady," he responded graciously, cupping her around the bum again as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He lifted her off the desk, shuffling the few remaining papers onto the floor in the process, as he carried her over to the nearest sofa. After setting her there, he settled himself over her and began kissing her again.
The two were so wrapped up in each other that they almost didn't hear the familiar pop of Apparition near the entrance of the room. They both stopped, staring wide-eyed in fear before Draco lifted his head to look over the back of the couch to find a house elf looking worriedly at him.
"I thought I left strict orders that I was not to be disturbed here," he barked irritably at the creature.
Each time he spent with Ginny, he gave an order to the elves that they not be disturbed. Not that the elves would likely care one way or another how their masters spent their time, but it was more than an issue of their personal privacy. While it was not in the nature of an elf to tattle on the actions of their owners, there was little doubt that an elf would answer truthfully if asked a direct question about any activity they had seen. If Lucius ever became suspicious, it was best if the elves knew as little as possible.
"Young Master, Professor Snape has arrived to see you," the thing responded, wringing its hands in fear.
Draco grunted in annoyance, then glanced down at Ginny, still lying naked beneath him on the soft cushions of the couch, staring back at him with a fearful expression. The elf could not see her, as she was hidden behind the high back of the couch, only Draco's tousled head showing above the piece of furniture, but the interruption was a cruel reminder of their situation.
"Have him wait in the front parlor. I'll be with him shortly," Draco barked at the elf and watched it disappear as quickly as it had arrived. Looking back down to Ginny, he said softly, "Sorry, love. It seems I have business that needs attention."
As he pulled away from her and moved toward his abandoned clothing, she followed, deciding that it might be a good time to glean some information from him. "What kind of business, Draco?" she asked, trying to sound casual, although the curiosity had burned in her for some time. She hoped that their recent intimacy might have left him feeling open enough to answer. "What is it that you do when you're away from here?"
He stiffened at the question, and seemed to avoid looking at her, as he performed a quick cleansing spell on himself. She almost regretted asking, as it had apparently spoiled the closeness they'd felt only minutes earlier. However, she was nothing if not stubborn. Despite his unwillingness to respond, she continued to stand there, naked, crossing her arms and silently demanding an answer.
He gave a deep sigh as he began to pull on his pants, still not looking directly at her as he answered. "I've asked Snape to assist me in a venture into the Potions business," he replied, rather vaguely.
"Why might he be interested in that?" she said, continuing to try to sound more curious, despite her internal urge to press him. "I thought he was still Headmaster at Hogwarts."
He cast a spell to eliminate any wrinkles from his shirt before pulling it on, not looking at her as he replied. "He is. This is a side venture, for now."
It bothered her that he'd suddenly shut down after all their open conversations in recent months. He was keeping something important from her and she desperately wanted to find out what it was. She put a hand on his arm, effectively stopping his actions as she silently willed him to tell her more, hoping that she might finally find out what he did on weekends, and now evenings, and why he and his father were now on better terms.
"What are you doing, Draco?"
He looked at her, all echoes of their previous playfulness gone from his expression as he shook his head with obvious regret. "I can't tell you, Ginny. You don't want to know."
"Yes, I do!" she said insistently. She wasn't stupid, and she strongly suspected that his dealings were far from reputable. The idea of him once again siding with Voldemort frightened her.
He moved closer, taking her hands and gave a resigned sigh as he looked into her worried face. "Ginny, I told you, I need to have some form of occupation because my future here is very, very limited. Is it so hard to think that I might become a Potions Master in order to earn a living?"
He wasn't telling her the entire truth, she was certain of it, but he released her to straighten his tie. She gave a resigned sigh and bowed her head in defeat. She wouldn't get anything more from him for the time being.
Leaning toward her, he cupped her chin and gave her a light kiss before walking toward the door.
She dressed quickly, all her recent thoughts of intimacy now replaced with annoyance. As she neatened her desk, she found the letter from her family and scanned the contents. It was disappointing, to say the least. They begged her to escape, promising her that they would go into hiding to protect themselves and her from the threat of Voldemort's rule.
She tossed the letter into the fireplace, watched it ignite, and tried to contain her anger.
Did they really think that they could spend months, or possibly years, hiding in an Unplottable location? Even if they did, they would need money for food and necessities. Their shortsightedness was frustrating. Granted, Ginny's situation was the result of a rash decision on her own part, but a second rash decision from them would not make it right.
She decided that it might be in her best interest to do as Draco had done and perhaps start skiving off a few galleons in her ledger. It would take some time, but at least that would be of help, in the event that her family did indeed need to retreat into hiding at some point, and not only if she managed to run away.
She wandered down the hallway, hoping to catch some of Draco's conversation with Snape, but was disappointed to find that a silencing charm had been cast on the room, thwarting her plan to eavesdrop. Her day only deteriorated further when Lucius arrived home early, ending her time with Draco sooner than she expected, and still with no answers.
She survived the weekend, although her eagerness to see Draco return on Sunday evening was difficult to suppress, causing her to lose her mental resolve several times. Fortunately, when he arrived at dinner on Sunday, his mask was already in place, leading her to keep herself in check. She wondered how he was able to transform himself with such ease, but then again, she reminded herself that he did, after all, have years of experience in doing this.
The odd behavior between Lucius and Draco continued. For some reason, the hostility between the two had almost completely vanished, and they seemed to meet two or three times a week. As she watched the two interact, her curiosity continued to nag her about what he'd said to his father to elicit the change. Unfortunately, each time she tried to voice the question, he would find a way to avoid giving her an answer.
And so it continued for the next two weeks, as she settled into her new daily routine. She would enter her parlor every morning after Lucius left, only to find Draco impeccably dressed and waiting for her, ready to distract her with kisses until she scolded him.
She refused to voice her feelings for him, however. Sometime after he'd refused to tell her the whole truth about his current dealings with Snape and his father, she'd come to realize that it was best to not share such a dangerous sentiment. He'd not mentioned his feelings since that first night they'd spent together and it had become an unspoken agreement between them that some secrets were best not shared.
So, while she enjoyed every moment of being with him, she continued to maintain worry about what he might be involved in, and worse, she maintained a nagging fear that whatever they had would have to end at some point. She tried not to dwell on that thought.
- x - x -
On the evening of the party, she did her best to ensure that all was in order and spent extra time to ensure that her dress, hair and makeup were as perfect as possible. Her husband would expect no less, and she desperately wanted to make certain that she did nothing to incur his wrath, especially for an evening he'd specifically stated was important to him.
The sum of Ginny's previous experience regarding the hosting of a dinner party included things such as watching her mother Floo the invitees, cleaning the house, and expanding the dinner table to accommodate the extra place settings. If it was a really big party, the table would be moved outside first. Occasionally, she'd assist her mother in cooking and, if needed, a tacky decoration or two would be added. She'd hated the chore at the time, but now, she treasured the memories fondly.
She put on her dress and checked herself in the mirror. She would have preferred to buy something in a different color, but Lucius had specified the black. She supposed it didn't matter, as any night among Lucius' friends was sufficiently morbid to make her feel as if she was attending a funeral. The dress was nothing spectacular, but certainly adequate to show off her curves as the model trophy wife of a high-ranking member of the Ministry.
Choosing diamond jewelry, to go with the silver and black theme of the party, she began to feel dread about the evening ahead. Putting on the expensive necklace only made her feel more acutely aware of the bondage that was her marriage.
Lucius entered the room just as she had finished with the final touches of makeup. She stood to greet him nervously, never knowing if his mood would lead him to either approve or disapprove.
"You look lovely this evening, my dear," he said, taking her gloved hand and lifting it to kiss her knuckles lightly. She breathed relief. He was in a good mood.
"Thank you, My Lord," she said, bowing her head in an expression of submission. She looked back up to see him smile.
All in all, the evening had started well.
As the party progressed, she frequently glanced about the rooms, verifying that nothing appeared amiss. Small silver trays floated around the room, always appropriately filled with a variety of hors d'ouvres. The lighting in the room was appropriately dim, and the musicians that she had hired were playing appropriate background music to enhance the atmosphere.
The sounds of the party might have almost been normal, Ginny thought, if not for the horrible cackling laugh of Bellatrix Lestrange in the far corner of the room. The witch seemed unusually enthusiastic about something, which worried Ginny, as Bella's idea of good news almost always meant something horrible for someone else. At the moment, the other witch was talking to Draco, who seemed far too at ease among the guests for Ginny's liking.
Ginny herself remained at her husband's side, attempting to give the impression of being a proper wife. She stayed in Lucius' shadow, smiling demurely and speaking only when spoken to, or when prompted by her husband. It was quite a tedious task, and in order to accomplish it, she tried to shove aside as much of her true personality as her training would allow.
As best she could, she tried to listen in on any conversation that seemed to be of interest, hoping to get word out to her family, if need be, about any impending danger. Apparently, the law about removing children from undesirable environments had taken effect, and there was a great deal of excitement about retraining all half-blooded children to accept a lesser role in society. They discussed such things with a casual air that she found disturbing, and unfortunately without enough detail to tell her if any of her family might be targeted.
Discouraged, she noticed Draco casually moving among the same groups, his presence welcomed by the guests. He looked comfortable in their company, a feat that she realized she would never be able to achieve, regardless of how well she played her role as Lucius' wife.
As Lucius settled into an inconsequential conversation about Quidditch, Ginny quietly slipped away, feeling drained and frustrated. Her experience with Occlumency was still new, and the energy she used for hiding her feelings left her mentally exhausted. Unfortunately, she felt that she needed to practice her skills in front of the guests, as she was well aware that many in the room might be much more adept at Legilimency than Lucius. She didn't want to risk any of her day life being noticed by any of them.
After several long minutes, she finally calmed her emotions and was preparing to rejoin the gathering, but as she started walking back toward the parlor she suddenly found herself confronted by Augustus Rookwood.
"Where have you been, Mrs. Malfoy?" the unpleasant man asked, his voice sounding more grating than usual to her ears.
She tried to smile in a calm and polite way as she responded, "Just a quick trip to the loo, I'm afraid. I hope I didn't miss anything too exciting."
His gaze darkened, and he didn't even try to hide the leer that came to his lips as he studied her. "All the 'excitement' is out here, it would seem," he replied.
She took a deep gulp of air. She was in no mood to be dealing with unwanted advances from a Death Eater. Her evening had been trying, and she was mentally spent. She fought an urge to lose her temper. "I certainly doubt that," she said in a coldly polite tone as she made a deliberate step toward the room.
He stopped her, unexpectedly grabbing her by the arm and then pinning her to the wall, his arms boxing her in. The very idea of this man touching her made her furious. The part of her that she'd pushed aside mentally had an entire evening of righteous anger that was aching to be released, and the scum standing before her had pushed her beyond what her self-restraint would allow.
Although the space was limited, she had enough room to draw her wand from her sleeve, jamming it harshly into Rookwood's throat and forcing him to step back.
He had obviously become accustomed to her meek demeanor when he'd seen her at previous gatherings and she internally laughed as he cowered in fear at her abrupt movement. During the usual Saturday parties, she'd not been allowed to bring her wand with her, and Lucius had been specific about how she should conduct herself, reminding her of the night she'd met Voldemort. But this party was in her own home, giving her cause to have the wand with her, just in case some small detail of the party required her attention. She found herself immensely grateful.
While she couldn't use her wand against Lucius, nothing was stopping her from destroying this piece of filth in self-defense, and the mood she was in after hearing the most recent bad news had left her more than willing to murder one of her guests.
"I'd think it best if you unhand my step-mother," came a cold voice from her left. She looked and saw Draco staring at the older man in cold fury. Her attacker flinched in fear as he backed away. While a part of her was grateful for Draco's interference, another part was angry that she wouldn't be able to take out her frustrations on the lowly excuse for a man.
"Look, the whelp has finally decided to show his teeth," Rookwood said, failing to hide the hint of fear in his voice, his taunt an obvious ruse to hide his cowardice.
As she studied the man, she saw his eyes suddenly shift, looking between the two of them. A moment later the flash of fear in his expression was replaced by something more sinister. It appeared Rookwood wasn't finished with his game for the night.
Draco watched Rookwood carefully as the man took in his protective stance at Ginny's side, and suddenly realized he'd made a serious mistake. Rookwood apparently had reached a conclusion that he felt could be used to his advantage. It was a normal Slytherin tactic. Rookwood had seen nothing outright damning, but that wouldn't stop him from creating a rumor, a rumor which would have just a bit too much truth in it for Draco's comfort.
He had no time to dispel the situation, as his father chose that particular moment to enter the hallway as well, likely in search of his wife. "What is the problem here?"
Rookwood turned to Lucius, smiling an oily smile, and Draco noticed his father's obvious distaste for the man. Trying to think quickly, Draco deduced that his father's dislike of Rookwood was the only thing that might salvage the situation, if used correctly.
"Just having a nice chat with your lovely wife, Lucius. She is quite 'friendly' as well beautiful," he said, turning briefly toward Ginny, giving her a look that caused her to cringe in distaste. Her reaction only seemed to encourage Rookwood, as he continued, leering at her, then back to Draco. "Draco seemed to feel it necessary to interrupt our conversation. He appears quite possessive of her."
Ginny remained silent, dropping her gaze and looking for all the world as if she wished she could be elsewhere. There was nothing she could say that would help herself as Lucius would draw his own conclusions as he saw fit. It was in her best interest to try not to lead his thoughts, and Draco was grateful that she remained silent.
"Ginevra, please attend to our guests," Lucius said, not looking at her. She simply nodded numbly and hurried away from the men, although Draco didn't fail to notice the flash of fear in her eyes.
He looked away from her as dispassionately as possible, knowing that Rookwood's casual insinuation had hit its mark. Lucius was staring at Draco instead of at him.
Rookwood smiled falsely. "Yes, I see," he said, waving his hand dismissively, "I see you have family matters to discuss. I will take my leave," he said, giving Draco a triumphant smile. Lucius only nodded in response as the disgusting excuse for a wizard jauntily walked back to the gathering.
"Of course," Lucius said coldly, turning back to his son. "You have an explanation," he said, prompting Draco to respond.
Rookwood saying something to cause strife between Draco and his father had not been entirely unexpected. As word spread about the fact that Draco was working to reestablish himself in his father's favor, it was only expected that jealousies would be ignited. Draco's reintroduction opened a new game of favoritism before the Dark Lord, causing those with precarious positions to feel threatened. Rookwood's not-so-subtle insinuation had been intended to cast doubt on Draco's loyalty to his father, in order to discredit his motives. It was not entirely unexpected that someone might attempt such a tactic while Lucius' trust in his son was still tentative.
Draco ignored the implication in his father's tone and detailed the incident as dispassionately as possible.
"I saw her leave the loo and walk back toward the parlor. He stopped her and she appeared uncomfortable with the situation. I was only looking out for your interests, Father. I believe he is only altering events for his own ends."
He saw his father's expression change from cold to something else. It was difficult to place the emotion of the madman, but at least he did not appear angry.
"Of course, my son. You did the correct thing," he said, clapping a hand on his son's shoulder in an uncharacteristically friendly gesture. "Perhaps there is some hope for you yet."
"I hope so, Father," he said.
"You have become fond of Ginevra," he said. It was a statement, not a question. Draco didn't fail to miss the tone.
"Only in so much as she is yours, therefore a part of this household," Draco responded, hoping that there was no trace of emotion in his voice.
"My wife is far too beautiful for her own good," his father responded, almost to himself. "Summon Ginevra to my study. Augustus seems to feel that she is not properly under my command. There is a lesson to be taught here."
Ginny kept an eye on the door to the room, taking notice of when Lucius returned. He appeared to look particularly stern as he glanced about, his gaze eventually settling on Rookwood. She could only assume that something was going to happen, and she fervently hoped that if it was bad, that Rookwood would be at the receiving end of it.
Instead, Lucius approached the man and appeared almost pleasant as he struck up a conversation, eventually inviting him out of the room. She scrunched her brow in confusion, but felt a small sigh of relief escape her as Lucius seemed to pay her no mind. She decided that she would never understand the games that these people liked to play.
She turned to attempt to listen in on another conversation. Every so often, she did manage to catch a sentence or two that seemed to be useful, and she was certain she was on the verge of learning something important. She never got the chance, however, as Draco strode purposefully toward her.
"What's going on?" she asked, noting Draco's rather cool expression. She returned, giving him a haughty look of her own, after all, they weren't supposed to be friendly toward each other in front of these people.
"Father has asked me to bring you to his private study for a moment," he said, his voice casual, but his expression serious.
She looked about the room, noting that the guests were all grouped in various conversations among themselves, ignoring her as was usual.
"But the guests..." she said, knowing it was a lame excuse even as the words left her lips.
"They'll be fine. He said it won't take long."
Nervously, she followed him to Lucius' study. She hated going there, as nothing good had ever come from any of her visits. Being summoned to the study typically meant that Lucius was displeased with her. She wished Draco would give her some form of reassurance, but there were too many people wandering about.
They followed Lucius and Rookwood into the room, Lucius motioning to Draco to to close the door behind them. Draco then leaned against the closed door and crossed his arms, looking casually bored.
Lucius got straight to the point.
"I understand that you seem to be showing an interest in my wife, Augustus," he said, turning to the other man.
Rookwood appeared to be unaffected by the statement. This was a man who'd achieved status by treachery, and his sneering smile showed it. "There's no need to be upset. It's not like she has a reputation to be protected."
"She is my wife, and I don't take kindly to anyone coveting my possessions."
Ginny internally cringed at being described as a possession, but held her tongue.
The man shifted in his seat, crossing his legs and looking quite comfortable before continuing. His eyes narrowed as he went on his attack. "Come now, Lucius, one can't help but be an opportunist. We all know her background. After all, the Dark Lord makes certain that there are no secrets among the elite. He has made it quite well known that she was far from innocent when you married her."
She didn't fail to notice Lucius' eyes darken in anger. She'd seen that expression far too many times, and she unconsciously flinched, remembering the pain that typically accompanied that look. While she felt fortunate that Lucius was currently directing that gaze on Rookwood instead of her, she knew that the topic was a particularly sore subject between them, and prayed that he wouldn't remind her of it again later.
Rookwood, however, seemed unaffected by Lucius' anger. He apparently was looking for a reason to raise Lucius' ire. Whatever he was planning, she was certain, would not bode well for her.
"...and this evening, she had the gall to threaten me. All these months, and you still fail to contain her."
Lucius snarled. "It is not your place to challenge my loyalty based on her actions."
She dearly wished that she'd killed the slimy git as she listened to him continue to taunt her husband.
"Oh, but it is. You've already lost one wife who was deemed inferior by the Dark Lord. I only wanted to see if she was actually loyal to you or if she might be looking for a chance for advancement."
Lucius turned his gaze over toward Ginny, his eyes dark with anger. His words were directed at Rookwood but he looked at Ginny as he spoke, "Why would Ginevra even consider bedding the likes of you, then? I outrank you."
"Maybe it's not about position, except of course, in the bedroom," Rookwood said, once again looking over at her with a leering gaze.
Ginny's eyes widened in shock. She was nothing but repulsed by the other man. Rookwood's tactic was to put the blame on her in order to save his own sorry arse as, having been caught in the act, he was likely cowering internally, despite his cavalier attitude. She looked over in disgust at him.
"I would never touch you. Don't flatter yourself," she spat back. Nevertheless, the man's words had hit a mark.
Lucius smiled, but it was far from genuine.
"If not me, then perhaps someone else," Rookwood said tauntingly. Ginny gasped, her jaw dropping open slightly. "It's been quite well known that she looked for other company before you, Lucius. The Dark Lord wonders if you can make her loyal enough to be allowed to raise your next generation."
Lucius walked over toward her, reaching his hand to trace her cheek, and part of her was now terrified that he knew what she was thinking. Rookwood's comments had hit far too close to the truth. Granted, Lucius seemed unable to read her thoughts without use of his wand, but she was quite sure that nobody in the room needed to perform the Legilimency spell because the emotions of fear and possibly guilt were clearly written on her face. She could only hope that the look might be misinterpreted to imply that she was merely appalled at Rookwood's words.
She looked up into her husband's eyes, watching the irises darken as he took in her features. "My wife has no reason to look elsewhere, Augustus," he said, reaching his other hand around her waist to pull her closer to him. "We have quite a..." he paused looking lustfully into her eyes as he chose the correct words, "satisfactory relationship."
She didn't dare look away from his face, although she desperately wanted to look at Draco, to see his reaction, to see if he was going to do anything to help her. All she could manage was to look back into her husband's eyes, not quite pleadingly, but certainly with question about his next action.
What he did was unexpected, at best. He kissed her. It wasn't one of their simple chaste kisses that he typically used in public settings, but one of passion. As Ginny closed her eyes to accept the kiss, pretending that she welcomed it, she felt a depth of emotion that she'd never felt from her husband before. He was not one for public displays, so she could only assume the kiss was intended to show his possessiveness. She could do nothing but comply, as any other reaction would damn her.
Standing completely still, she allowed him to ravage her mouth, his hand twining into her hair in an uncharacteristic display. Making a conscious effort, she relaxed against his body, forgetting the others in the room and concentrating only on the actions between them. A brief moment later, she felt his hand move from her waist, tracing lazily up her body, until he allowed the backs of his fingers to brush teasingly against her breast.
Pulling back from the kiss, he gave her a haughty smile. "As you can see, Augustus, you can tell the others that I have her quite well in hand. Now, let us rejoin the gathering."
With that, he turned to exit the room, leaving Rookwood in shocked silence to follow. She finally was able to glance at Draco, but his expression was blank. He pulled away from the door, still appearing casually indifferent to the immodest display that had just occurred, and she found herself suddenly appalled that he'd been witness to her behavior. Lucius' actions had been more than possessive; they'd also been intended to humiliate her, a reminder to her, as well as the others, that she was his willing plaything. Draco barely glanced at her as he followed his father from the room.
Left alone, Ginny touched her lips and lowered her head in disgrace. Rookwood's words had been too accurate. Without saying the words outright, he'd still called her a whore, and with the way she was living her life, she could only agree.
- x - x -
A/N - You know the deal folks... I NEED feedback. Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers who really keep me going. I love you all dearly.
Please don't be rude by reading and running. If there's something that is bad about my writing style...tell me! I do look to improve!